AnandTech: Windows 7: Release Candidate 1 Preview

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Windows 7: Release Candidate 1 Preview

Date: May 5th, 2009
Topic: System
Manufacturer: Microsoft
Author: Ryan Smith and Gary Key

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Gaming Results

We debated on which direction to go with the gaming test results. Since we will be taking another look at gaming with both the NVIDIA and AMD solutions later, we decided on a 1920x1080 resolution with 2xAA enabled and 8xAF where applicable. Our in-game settings are set to high quality. The minimum frame rates are listed in the text field next to the operating system description.

Left 4 Dead - 1920 x 1080 - 2xAA HQ - Dead Air

Crysis Warhead - 1920x1080 - 2xAA - Ambush

Far Cry 2 - 1920x1080 - 2xAA HQ - Ranch Small

Company of Heroes - 1920x1080 - 2xAA HQ - Omaha Beach

NVIDIA promised performance gains with Windows 7 over Vista and they delivered. While the gains are not significant in our limited choice of titles, NVIDIA provided internal testing reports with other games indicating the greatest performance differences will come with SLI setups in most major titles. We certainly noticed this in Company of Heroes with improved average frame rates but more importantly in minimum frame rates. We are still verifying their claims, but at this point it appears Windows 7 will be a very solid gaming platform.

General Performance

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120 Comments - Last by griffhamlin, 129 days ago

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Cool by Jjoshua2, 199 days ago

That's good to see its performance is good in general, and its gaming is consistently higher as well. Posting from Windows 7 on my Wind Netbook FTW :)

Any pricing news? I hope there's a great student rate.

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RE: Cool by samspqr, 199 days ago

the main reason I hate vista is because it's not XP: everything looks different, I can never find what I'm looking for, so getting used to it would require an effort that doesn't seem to have any compensating advantages (I don't like fancy UIs -I still use the W2K look- and I don't really play games anymore)

then, about windows7, I still feel it's just a re-spun new SP for vista, with a UI revision, and the only reason it's getting better reviews than the original vista is that some time has passed, so there are better drivers, and you're testing it on much more powerful hardware

now, that Wind comment makes me wonder...

may even I fall on this one?

we'll see

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RE: Cool by mathew7, 199 days ago

I'm also a XP-lover. Even in XP I'm using it with classic view (2K view).
My main problem is removal of old start-menu (cascading menus). I really hate the Vista style-menu.
Also, I prefer UAC disabled and using run-as different user. Unfortunately (in Beta), explorer would not take the new permissions (launch in separate process was enabled for both users), which means configurations had to be done with admin logon. I have not tried this yet in RC. Also, once UAC was disabled, the UAC menu items (with the shield) were still present with no actions (again I don't know about RC).

On the other hand, the new taskbar (with previews) and the multimedia settings are good-enough reason for me to switch.

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RE: Cool by mathew7, 199 days ago

I also would like to say about W7RC and low-RAM:
Windows 7 on 512MB RAM (desktop Intel G45 MB w/laptop HDD) feels to me like XP din on a 64MB RAM laptop years ago. It's good for internet/light work, but even for that you need patience because of swapping.

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RE: Cool by ssj4Gogeta, 199 days ago

Start menu is one of the best features that were introduced in Vista. It's great on a netbook or a small monitor. You also don't need to move your mouse, just type in the first few letters of the app name. It also searches your documents for you.

And about that RAM issue, what did you expect? I'm surprised it even runs on 512MB. Even netbooks have at least a gig of RAM.

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RE: Cool by chrnochime, 199 days ago

Just because netbooks have more ram(and not every one of them has 1G, some has 512MB), doesn't mean the OS should try to gobble up as much as is available. I don't get why every iteration of their OS just keep getting bigger and bigger, with little discernible improvements to the average user.

and this? "Ultimately, with Microsoft throwing Windows 7 RC1 out to the masses, we can't think of a good reason not to try it."

Unless they have ways to export the settings in programs and whatever document users have when they were using W7, it'd be really hard to convince the average user to try out just for sake of novelty.

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RE: Cool by KingViper, 198 days ago

"I don't get why every iteration of their OS just keep getting bigger and bigger, with little discernible improvements to the average user. "

Many things an OS is responsible for is not necessarily obvious to the average user. Compatibility with almost all hardware available, including keeping the OS as secure as possible. DX10\DX11 and h264 codecs etc. etc. etc. TONS of stuff is added, but it isn't necessarily used everyday. Of course it's going to get bigger.

I don't understand how XP users are about as bitter with Microsoft as Mac users are. Can you just not afford a Mac or what?

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RE: Cool by SirKronan, 198 days ago

I like the revamped start menu as well. Love instant search!

But did they add Blu-ray support to Media Center? This has been one of my complaints from the beginning about Media Center. It has to launch a separate program to play Blu-rays & HD DVD's, and I haven't found any way around it short of ripping the movies to a hard disk. I realize there are anti-trust/competitive laws, and I honestly don't mind having to buy PowerDVD or WinDVD to get their decoder, but I want the movie to play back in MEDIA CENTER with all of the interface's great features, like the smooth playback and intuitive controls, guide information, zoom feature (get rid of black letterbox - with 1080p you certainly have enough resolution to scale a tad!), etc.

Have they added that yet? If not, PLEASE, Anand, ask them to for us!

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RE: Cool by KingViper, 198 days ago

Archsoft and the newest version of PowerDVD both have plugins for Media Center..from what I hear. Although Media Center itself isn't actually playing the Blu-Ray..it looks like it integrates well. You might try out the trial versions.

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RE: Cool by cyriene, 198 days ago

I never understood how XP users say they "can never find anything in Vista."
I'm not Windows expert, but after using my new laptop with Vista for 3 hours I knew where over 95% of the things and setting are located. And mos tof them are in the same place as XP for that matter. Control panel is the same... Start menu slightly different, but similar enough to figure out in 5 seconds. Plus if there is something you're looking for, the Vista help search actually ...HELPED me find it! I was actually suprised how well the help works. Also, if that failed a quick Google search is all it takes.
I don't feel MS should make ever OS exactly the same with everything in the same place. It makes sense for some things to move, and it isn't hard to find them if you take 5 seconds to do that.

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